SpiderMan:Web of Shadows
by Alex Bane
Summary: When Venom finds a way to duplicate his symbiote, Spider-Man is thrust into a battle for the city of New York. In this battle, he will need the help of heroes and enemies alike in order to confront a past that threatens to destroy all that he loves.
1. Prelude

Prelude

The sky had turned red and the moon shined through the sky, people taking it as a symbol of hope that light could shine through darkness. What was once a blue filled atmosphere had now been reduced to a blood-red haze, perfectly setting the mood of the city. Smoke from various fires throughout the city only added to the impression that the sky itself was bleeding. New York City had been through hell and the journey seemed like it would have no ending. Some people-the ones who were alive-called it a terrorist plot. Others blamed it on paranormal forces. But they, as well as the rest of the world, knew that their problems all had to do with one man. A man who, unbeknownst to the public, had instigated this violent chain of events years ago when he was still young. And, unfortunately for him and the rest of the world, his past had caught up with him.

This man was now walking on a building, witnessing the consequences of his actions. All around him, chaos ensued. Like a bat out of hell, a hovercraft twisted and turned in the air, barrel rolling right towards him. Something had struck the craft with enough strength to make it catch fire. As the craft picked up speed, smoke billowed out of the fire. Had this been any other day, the man would have done what he could to save the craft, but he had other business to attend to. The hovercraft crashed onto the roof of the building, hitting it at the top corner of the front, causing it to roll forward and land upside down. Dust filled the air where the craft had crashed, making the man cough through his mask.

As he walked forward, he could feel the heat from the burning hovercraft on his back. It was not needed, considering he was already sweating beneath his costume. A flicker of movement to his right showed a helicopter flying towards the building. The doors were being opened and he could see soldiers garbed in navy blue suits holding machine guns. For a second, he thought they actually might make it to the roof.

As the helicopter began its descent to the roof, a black and white flash flew out of nowhere and crashed into the tail of the copter. It spun around and the pilot desperately tried to gain control, but it was a lost cause. The tail hit the side of the building and the main portion of the chopper rose up like a skyscraper, the propellers still spinning. Then, like the hovercraft, fell on its back. He could see the pilot knocked out, his bloodied face planted against the windshield. Despite the setback, the soldiers in the copter were not as badly injured. They still managed to open the helicopter doors and come out, guns blazing at the black and white flash that had tried to dispose of them.

The man continued his walk. Out of the corner of hie eye, he saw a different soldier that was clad in dark orange armor and he wielded a pistol. The soldier was shooting at the sky when something leaped from the side of the building onto the roof. It tackled the soldier and the two rolled on the ground. The soldier screamed as the creature came out on top. It grabbed the soldier by his throat with an iron grip, cutting off his air circulation very quickly. The creature threw the soldier off the building and roared in victory, only to be killed by machine gun fire seconds later.

The soldiers from the helicopter tried their best to move in a coordinated manner, just like they had been trained. However, they had not been trained for something like this. Creatures flew in the sky and climbed up buildings to get to their prey. At some strange level, the soldiers didn't entirely hate these beasts. Sure, they had killed many of their comrades, but they were not the target. The soldiers' anger was all focused on the man that stood before them. For he was the true prey of these creatures. Why should they all die for him? Why should their brothers in arms have to die for him? As much as they all hated the man's guts, the reality of the situation was that this man was the city's only hope for survival. Also, all of them fought for the same goal of peace. Soldiers knew what drove them: honor, duty, and love for their country. But what drove this particular man? They, and all of New York, wanted to know what drove the Spider-Man.

It was among many questions and speculations about the famous superhero, such as what true identity is, if he had a girlfriend, if he was just a myth, etc. Spider-Man had been around long enough for people to concot their own theories about him and his mysterious powers, as well as many other superheroes like him. Unlike Spider-Man, many other heroes worked alongside others and had their own organizations. But it seemed like Spider-Man always stood alone and took care of problems his own way. Maybe that was one of the reasons he was ridiculed so much. Everyone knew that Spider-Man was the most debated superhero of them all. But these days, no one cared about any of these things. Only one question about the webhead ran through people's mind: What will he do to save this city?

That was the question running through Spider-Man's mind right now as he left the soldiers to do their job. He flipped and leaped off of the building, his body straight like a pencil. The cool air kissed his skin and he knew that no one could get a rush like this. As the ground approached him, he quickly shot out a web strand to a close building and pulled it taught. He let his legs swing free as he gripped the strand with both hands.

_You have it don't you. You know what that thing does to you! You know how it can change you!_

Spider-Man propelled his legs forward and brought them up to his chest. He let go of the web and pushed out with his legs. He freefell for a few seconds, then shot out another strand, which he quickly pulled on with one hand and twisted his body as he flew towards another building, one of many nameless nondistinguishable buildings in New York. He landed on the side of the building and ran forward, gaining speed and leaped off. As he neared his target, he shot out a strand to close the distance.

_If that damn thing gets control over you, gutting is still an option. Got me?_

Spider-Man landed on the creature that was attached to the building. It cried out in surprise of the webslinger, who kicked off the creature, sending it down to the ground. In truth, that small fry had served as a means to get to a higher part of the monster food chain, namely the ones that could fly. Spider-Man tackled a flying one in mid-air and punched it in the face. The creature squealed in pain and flapped its mostly white and black tipped wings to try and get some altitude, but Spider-Man simply webbed the wings up so they couldn't flap, causing the monster to fall in the streets.

_This city is going to be ours, my love. Just wait and see._

Spider-Man swung towards another creature who was trying to break a window on the side of a building to get to innocent bystanders. The webslinger angled his body so his legs just narrowly missed the creatures body, but his arms didn't. He vertically clotheslined the monster, twisted in the air, and used that extra momentum to throw the monster as far as he could. He swung towards another flier and kicked it with boths legs, sending the creature crashing into a building.

_When this is all said and done, who do you think the people will remember as their savior?_

Spider-Man saw a group of about four creatures on the street. He swung low to the ground and held his right leg back, getting it ready. Upon impact with the four monsters, he kicked out with his right foot, sending all four creatures sprawling on the sidewalk. He noticed he was at the end of his swing, so Spider-Man let go of the web and landed on a small attachment to a much larger skyscraper. He surveyed his surroundings, looking for people to save or monsters to kick the crap out of.

A dark blue tank-like police vehicle drove by the building Spider-Man was standing on. It looked like the driver was drunk. The car crashed into a Starbucks at the corner of the next block. Policemen began to exit the vehicle. A policeman held his bloody head and had an expression of sheer pain on his face. Then, that expression changed to one of terror when he looked down the street. Spider-Man positioned himself so he could see what was spooking the man. He cursed when he saw what was coming. More creatures, only these were pure white with black ooze running down their bodies.

The small army was headed straight for the group of weakened policemen. Spider-Man saw this as a golden opportunity to do what he did best. He leaped off the building and swung over to the police. As he impacted with the ground, the police raised their pistols to him, expecting him to be one of the creatures. Quickly, they realized who they were looking at.

The police captian of the team walked up to Spider-Man and said, "We'll cover you from behind."

Spider-Man nodded and turned to the coming creatures. The ones in front opened their mouths and roared, showing off fangs stained with the black ooze. If this was supposted to intimidate him.....

"Open fire men!" The police captain bellowed. The others complied and began to pelter the monsters with gunshots. The creatures whipped back with every shot they were blasted with, as if they were being hit with constant whiplash. This only made the creatures more angry and they began to run forward. It was a scary sight to watch them all running at the same pace in the same way. Just like zombies. The police marveled at Spider-Man as he stood there in the street, ready to meet the coming onslaught. The webslinger cracked his knuckles and got in a fighting stance. As the creatures approached, Spider-Man took a deep breath through his mask and attacked.

The creature in front leaped forward, its sharp claws outstretched. Spider-Man ducked under the talons as they barely missed his head and pivoted into a sidekick. He aimed it perfectly because the monster crashed into others like bowling pins. Another monster lashed out with a punch that Spider-Man easily blocked. He countered with a front kick to the monster's chest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw two more creatures coming for him. He turned around and began shooting web balls at them. Because of the surprising strength of the material of his webs, the web balls had as much effect as a shotgun.

Spider-Man returned to the main onslaught with quick jabs delivered with lightning fast precision, causing the heads of many creatures to snap back. He dodged a kick by lowering himself to the ground and spinning his leg around, tripping many of his enemies. Before they hit the ground, Spider-Man grabbed one with a web strand and whipped that creature around, hitting all the other airborne creatures farther away. Then, he leaped into the air and picked out the remaining few monsters. He shot a web near the center of the small group, pulled, and slammed himself into the ground, causing a force that blew the creatures away.

The police captain fired off a few shots, catching the remaining monsters in the chest. Two more monsters got up close and personal with the other policemen. One creature sliced at a policeman, who ducked and bashed the creature with the butt of his pistol. Another policeman came up behind the creature and tackled it to the ground. It struggled, but he shot it in the head at point-blank range. The other creature stabbed another policman with its claws, but its head was blasted away by another's shotgun.

The police captain turned to the webslinger and said, "Don't worry about us. Go and help the others!" Spider-Man nodded and swung off in a flash. He did have business to attend to.

As Spider-Man swung higher in the air, he could see the carnage throughout the city. Lights were still on in most buildings, but he could hear screams from miles away. Streets were littered with debris and broken concrete. Buildings were crumbling at their foundations because of all the fighting by super powered individuals, namely himself. It tore him up inside to see the city like this; a city that had been his home for his entire life was now being destroyed by forces that Spider-Man knew all too well. Above him, a jet fighter flew and Spider-Man looked down to see green smoke coming from the street he had just fought the creatures at. He landed on the side of a building to get a closer look. He used his spider-sense to look through the smoke. He saw the police captain had laid the flare down because he and his men were pinned down by more of the monsters. Spider-Man knew he wouldn't get down there in time, even though he knew what would happen next. The creatures sliced through the policemen and the captain let out one final cry of defiance. Spider-Man closed his eyes as the jet fighter fired two missiles upon the marked area. The creatures, along with police, disappeared in a firey explosion.

Spider-Man clenched his fists with rage. Someone was going to pay and he knew exactly who that person was. He swung away in a flash desperate to find what he was looking for. He swung low to the street and landed on a flagpole just as another hovercraft crashed into the side of a building. Luckily for the men inside, the exit was at the end protruding from the building and they opened the door. Spider-Man could see their clear googles scouring the skies for any more unwanted guests and he did the same. He used his spider sense to track any trace of the monsters and, fortunately, he could find none. He assumed the men would be safe and got ready to swing off again.

Suddenly, part of the hovercraft exploded, surprising the soldiers on the outer platform of the craft and causing them to trip and fall off the edge. One soldier was able to get his wits about him in time to grab the end of the platform, but he was going to have a hard time getting up because more flying creatures showed up. The soldier was so overcome with fear that his grip failed him and he started to fall. Spider-Man wasn't about to let someone else die on his watch, so he quickly shot a web strand at the far building and, since it went taught very quickly, he was able to web zip himself over there. He aimed it perfectly and caught the soldier in mid-fall. The webhead landed on the ground and set the soldier down.

The soldier gasped and began to run for the nearest building, but he still said, "I owe ya one Spidey! Hey watch-!"

Spider-Man was hit from behind by a flying creature and the wind was knocked out of him. He reacted like a snake and elbowed the flier in the jaw. It cried out and grabbed Spider-Man's throat. The webslinger grabbed the arm that was holding his throat and began to push it away. The two engaged in a mid-air battle of strength and Spider-Man won, pushing the creature's arm away and back kicking the creature itself with both of his feet. The monster grunted, but recoiled quickly, flying around for a second try. However, Spider-Man was ready this time. He rapidly changed direction in an act of impressive webslinging and began to charge the creature head on. The monster flapped its wings, eager to meet its prey. But Spider-Man didn't oblige it and flipped over the monster, just as it slashed its claws. Past the creature now, Spider-Man put his right hand over his left shoulder and fired a web strand which caught the monster in the back. He tugged with all his might and the monster was sent crashing into the street below.

The webslinger began to swing away, but he saw a soldier crawling on the ground. He was trying to get out from under some rubble. Never one to miss helping the innocent, Spider-Man swung down and landed near the man.

"Hey hey help me!" The soldier cried out. "Get this stuff off me!"

Spider-Man nodded and began to lift the debris off him. He noticed that his muscles were actually straining under the weight of the debris. This just showed how tired he was. He had lost complete track of time, but he didn't care about that. He had sins to atone for and he planned to carry it out. He grimaced as he pulled that last bit of debris off the soldier.

"Ahhh!" He said as relief filled his body. "Thanks man. I thought I was a goner."

Spider-Man knew he couldn't just leave him here, so he picked the soldier up and began to look for the closest medic. The soldier put up no argument because he wanted to get as far away from those monsters as possible.

Soon enough, he found a group of military jeeps at a checkpoint. The soldier started to cry he was so happy. The webslinger landed near the jeeps and his appearance was quickly known. The soldiers pulled a stretcher ou of their medical jeep and laid it out for the soldier. Spider-Man gently set the man down on the stretcher, who quickly wiped his tears away so no one esle could see he had been crying.

"We're gonna need some evac. Pronto!" One of the soldiers said.

The other held up a radio. "Just got the message sir. They'll be sending in a medical chopper within thirty minutes."

"Tell 'em to have sonic rounds for Christ's sake! Those flyin' bastards are tearin' us apart up there. As if we didn't have enough trouble on the goddamn ground."

Spider-Man had been silent this whole time, not really listening to their conversation, when suddenly he exploded into a babbling rage at the soldiers. "Where's Cage and his search party?"

The soldier turned to the webslinger. "Who the-?"

Spider-Man grabbed the man by his shoulders. "The civilian volunteers. You've seen them right?! Do you remember a-a pretty redhead? Arm in a cast?" The soldiers had no time to react at all, but Spider-Man ruled them out as useful. "Goddammit! You're no help to me!"

The soldier shoved Spider-Man's arms away, saying, "Hold that incredibly useless thought webhead! I just got word that we have vehicles inbound to our position."

Spider-Man shifted from looking in the direction of the vehicles to the soldier on the stretcher. Any thoughts of staying were no killed. He fully turned away from the soldiers, running towards what he was looking for.

The soldier turned away from the webslinger and said, "Private, look after this man. Copy?"

The private looked nervously at the captain. "Well, I-I would s-sir, but look at this." He showed the captain his navigational computer, found on each soldier's wrist. The screen showed red dots against a mostly green background. And the dots were moving awfully fast towards their position.

"Perimeter breach!" The captain yelled at the top of his lungs. "Incoming from the south side!"

All the other soldiers quickly got into position and loaded their guns while they moved about. Some took cover behind the jeeps, but most stood out in the open, considering the monsters had no projectile weapons, they were no real threat unless they got up close. All guns aimed south down the street at the incoming enemies. More white zombies headed toward their postition.

"Fire!" The captain ordered.

Bullet casings littlered the streets as the machine guns laid waste to the monsters. The few that got past began to leap upon the soldiers, but were quickly stopped by Spider-Man. He landed a two-legged kick to a creature's face and backfisted another who came from behind. The last one actually faked the webslinger out with false kick and punched Spider-Man on the side of the head. He growled, shutting out the pain and plowing through the monster with a barrage of punches that made short work of the creature.

"Private!!"

Spider-Man quickly turned around to see a horrific sight. A monster had gotten to the soldier on the stretcher and begun to devour him. The soldier screamed as the creature's skin became sharp tendrils that were stabbed into the soldier's body. The soldier grew stiff and pale. Completing the process, the monster opened its mouth and sunk its fangs into the man's throat.

"Son of a bitch!" The captain screamed as he tore up the creature with machine gun rounds. However, Spider-Man knew it was too late. As some soldiers began to go toward the private, Spider-Man yelled, "Get away! He'll kill you."

They saw what he meant. The former soldier had begun to turn a ghostly white. Black ooze began to permeate through his pores and his face was contorted into a twisted grin. His teeth grew longer and more sharp. He got off the stretcher and surveyed the people around him. He roared into the night and completed his transformation by tearing his clothes off, revealing the form of a creature.

Since the soldiers were to stupified to do anything, Spider-Man leaped in the air and tackled the private, now turned monster. The creature cracked the concrete upon impact with the ground. Spider-Man brought his foot down upon the monster's face, knocking it out completely.

Silence reverberated throughout the soldiers. What they had just seen was the most horrifying, yet amazing thing they had ever seen. Spider-Man, however, had seen this one too many times and each time made him feel like a piece of his soul had been ripped out. Disgusted with what had just happened, the hero swung away, leaving the soldiers to mourn for their lost comrade. He had no time for mourning. Not anymore.

The sound of tires squealing caught Spider-Man's attention and he crawled on the side of a building to get a better look. A silver car was driving at breakneck speed down the street. An ordinary person would not be able to see the driver, but Spider-man was anything but ordinary. He could clearly see the African American in a bright yellow tee shirt driving like a maniac, but his main attention was focused on the redheaded woman.

"MJ!" The words escaped the mouth of Peter Parker with no difficulty. True, anyone could have heard him say the name of the redheaded woman and it wouldn't be too hard to put two and two together. But at this point, Peter couldn't give a rat's ass.

As he swung to meet the car, the black driver maneuvered the car so that ti ran into several creatures. As the monsters smashed into the car, the black ooze squirted onto the windshield, making it difficult to see. The driver clipped a monster in the leg as the car swerved and it was almost cut in half. Eventually, the ooze got to be too much so the driver stopped. The two occupants opened their doors and exited the car. One of the woman's arms was in a cast, yet she wielded a shotgun.

Spider-Man swooped down from the sky and landed on the car, startling the other two. "MJ! Dear God, I was so worried."

The black man pointed at the webslinger and said, "You best play it cool now man. Or else I'm gonna have to beat yo ass up and down this block."

MJ, the more diplomatic of the two, pointed the shotgun at her boyfriend and asked, "Is it really you this time?!"

The black man didn't want to wait for an answer. He pulled MJ by the arm, towards the approaching hovercraft. "C'mon we gotta go."

Spider-Man leaped off the car, desperately wanting her to hear his words. "Look, I screwed up in the worst way possible. I know it and everyone else knows it. But I promise I-I won't use it again!"

MJ laughed, but not in a nice way. "Promise?! We are way past that."

The black driver put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the hovercraft that had just landed by them. Dust kicked up from everywhere and MJ's hair was tossled every which way. "We ain't got time for this."

Spider-Man reached out to her, but she had already turned away. He lowered them slowly and felt something wet running down his cheek. The worst part of all this was that he knew it was entirely his fault. He hung his head down low and let the tears come.

Suddenly, his spider sense tingled, drawing his attention to his immidiate left. There was a fire from an exploding vehicle that was still burning strong, but that wasn't what he was looking at. A dark figure stepped through the flames, walking with confidence. His spider sense was tingling so hard that it almost gave him a headache.

MJ must have sensed it through women's intuition, because she had also turned around and didn't like what she saw. She pulled out of the grip of the black man and yelled back to Spider-Man. "Oh no. Get away. Get away!"

The black man held her back and pulled her towards the hovercraft. "Come on!"

Once again, Spider-Man found himself torn between two things: saving the woman he loved or saving the people of New York. He faced the mysterious figure, then back the Mary Jane.

MJ struggled with the grip of the massive black man, pushing herself forward with her hand outstretched, her face pleading. "Don't do it. Just come with me."

Spider-Man was about to make the toughest decision of his life, when dark tendrils shot out and pulled him into the darkness. The darkness that had plagued the city. The darkness that had been the ban of his existence.

The very darkness that had started it all.


	2. He's Back

Chapter 1: He's Back

_Four days ago_

It had started out exactly how it ended. In darkness. Fighting to breathe. Fighting to survive.

"NOOOOO!"

She lay before him, inches away. Her red hair matched the liquid that covered her face. His vision was blurred, but he could faintly make out her efforts to reach out and touch him. To save him from the darkness. For a second, he thought she might.

After all, she had done it before.

But then it came again, like a monsoon rushing over him, threatening to swallow him whole. He struggled the best he could. He could feel the darkness trying to penetrate his mind. Memories began to pile up inside him; both bad and good. He punched out with what he assumed was his right hand, but he couldn't be sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. All he could do was fight.

Then, a voice pierced through the darkness. It wasn't comforting or sweet, like Mary Jane's was. It was a voice filled with all kinds of emotions: anger, malice, hatred. But as he heard the voice once more, one emotion shined like a bright light through the darkness more than any other: pleasure.

"Parker." It said. The voice was not of one being, but two. Two perfectly synchronized beings within the same shell, forming a creature that submitted to no one and that had one primary objective: terrorize and/or kill Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man.

The name of the creature resonated in his head. "Venom."

Vision returned slowly to Spider-Man, but judging by the increasing pressure around his skull, he didn't need vision to guess what was happening. The bastard was crushing him.

Suddenly, the veil of darkness was lifted off of Spider-Man. Somewhat. His vision was still marred by the massive black fingers that surrounded his skull. The cool breeze of October hit his skin and it felt so good. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see MJ lying on the ground, unconscious with her arm twisted at an unnatural angle. Anger seeped inside of him and he started to regain strength, which he needed very desperately. His arms fell slack at his sides and his legs felt like they were weighted down with lead.

_All this pain....at least means I'm still alive, _he thought. _For now, anyway._

The fingers around his head moved out of his eyesight to make room for two hands. This gave Spider-Man a better look at his nemesis.

Venom. God, that was a piece of the past he wished he could forget. Standing a full head taller than him, Venom was a monstrosity that demanded attention. His body was incredibly muscular, the main reason for his size. His black suit did nothing to hide his muscled frame. On his chest, a large and menacing white spider design with pincers and long legs that extended the design to some of his back. But by far, his face was the scariest part. His head was almost _Alien_-esque, a few inches longer than normal. His eyes were white splots against the black suit that looked like white fire. His long, thin tongue licked his lips, showing off a mouth full of long, sharp fangs.

A monster in every sense of the word. Born from the combination of an alien symbiote and a lifetime supply of hatred.

Venom had placed both hands on Spider-Man's head, holding him a few feet from the ground. No doubt a way of showing his dominance over the webslinger to the people who were watching. Venom always had a sense of theatricality about him. He was letting his tongue escape his mouth, waving it centimeters from his prey's face, giving him a hint of what was to come.

"I'm feeling hungry," Venom whispered. He began to open his mouth wider, giving Spider-Man a full view of his teeth.

"No," Spider-Man barely managed to get out. He lifted his arms and tried to pull Venom's fingers away, but to no avail. Visions of a painful death forced Spider-Man to play a wild card, one which he had no idea if it would work. He used Venom's real name. "No! Eddie don't!"

Venom gave no indication that that name jolted him, because he continued to open his mouth wider and drew even closer to Spider-Man. The webslinger quickly looked to Mary-Jane, who was still knocked out, saying a silent good-bye to his beloved.

Suddenly, Venom pulled back with a surprised, "What?!" Venom's hands lost much of their grip, giving Spider-Man a better look at what was transpiring.

Apparently, a piece of the symbiote that made up Venom's suit had dropped onto Spider-Man's head. The cold ooze did little to soothe the hero, even if it did give him a temporary reprieve from Venom's stomach.

However, it did not end there. Another piece of the suit dripped off Venom's fingertip and landed on Spider-Man. Next, another piece, this time from Venom's head, broke off and, as if it was magnetically attracted, flew over and stuck to Spider-Man. Venom's grip loosened even further as more and more of his suit began to rebel and attach to Spider-Man. The webslinger tried to shake the pieces off, but they stuck like glue.

Venom tried to pull back, but the pieces kept breaking away and were multiplying quickly on his hated foe. Spider-Man had no idea why this was happening and he didn't care. All he knew was that Venom's grip was loosening more by the second and he planned to use this unexpected event to his advantage.

Suddenly, a huge blob of ooze separated itself from Venom, who cried out in surprise, and attached to Spider-Man. He saw his chance and brought his feet against Venom's chest. The symbiote continued to flock on him and Venom was so stunned that he let go of Spider-Man completely. The webslinger separated Venom's hands from his head and kicked off his nemesis, flipping and twisting in the air, hoping to get rid of the symbiote, but it didn't work.

"Nooo!" Venom cried out. He didn't know why he yelled in such a weak, human way. Maybe he was just confused. Or frustrated. Hell, it was probably both.

Spider-Man landed in the middle of a street, cracking the pavement with his fist. For the first time, he could see his surroundings. There were only a few cars parked on the sides of the street and the buildings weren't that tall. Spider-Man could tell by the lone tree, with its brown leaves signaling the arrival of autumn, that he was in the neighborhood of Soho. This also happened to be where Mary Jane's apartment was located.

Now he remembered. He had been coming over this way because MJ said she had something to give him. He was just making a quick stop on the way to work, but Venom had ambushed him.

_And quite violently, I might add,_ Spider-Man thought.

He looked straight ahead at Venom, roaring in anger at him for taking something so precious. Spider-Man snickered beneath his mask and looked down at his costume. The black splotches were still there and they began to spread. _The symbiote is starting to- oh no. NOO!_

Spider-Man wanted to scream as the symbiote began to cover his body, a black ocean that had become flooded. The coldness hit him like a punch in the gut. He remembered this feeling and it sure as hell didn't make him feel warm and nostalgic. But as the symbiote fully covered his body, changing his costume from red and blue to pitch black with a white spider on his chest, another feeling came about him. This feeling he had not experienced in a while. He looked over at Mary Jane, saw her broken arm. Then, he peered over at Venom, the cause of it all. Spider-Man clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. That bastard was going to pay. An overwhelming feeling of anger washed over Spider-Man man.

"Oh how I've missed this," Spider-Man whispered to himself.

_**As have we.**_

Spider-Man stood up and yelled, "Venom, get ready for a world of pain!" His nemesis roared back at him defiantly, eagerly awaiting the challenge.

The webslinger looked to his right and saw exactly what he was looking for. A red Lamborghini. Spider-Man walked over to it and began to grasp it with his hands.

_I would never be able to do this in the red and blue suit with such little strength, _Spider-Man thought. _But with the black suit...._

The red Lamborghini felt like a regular weight at the gym in his hands. With a simple grunt, Spider-Man picked up the car and bent his legs slightly for better balance. Quickly, he spotted the target:Venom. Spider-Man half-walked and half-skipped a few feet, like a javelin thrower at a track meet, and then threw his own form of javelin with all his strength.

The throw happened in slow motion for the two combatants. The car twisted in the air as it flew. Sunlight glinted off the polished sheen of the car, until the underside faced the sun. Venom saw his own reflection in the windshield and knew in that instant one thing.

This was going to hurt a lot.

--------------------------

Mary Jane Watson was having a very bad day. And that's saying a lot for someone who's boyfriend is Spider-Man.

The plan had been very simple: tell Peter to get his butt over to her apartment so she could give him his birthday present. And if he wanted to thank her by having hot sex, she would have put up no resistance whatsoever.

But the plan had been dashed by the appearance of a not so friendly face: Eddie Brock.

Mary Jane was not the kind of girlfriend that pressed her boyfriend for the nitty gritty details of his past. There was no reason to do so because she played a major role in his past. So there was little that she did not know about Peter and his alter-ego.

But this was a different story.

There were very many aspects of Peter's past that still haunted him, specifically the death of his Uncle Ben. But Mary Jane took great pride in the fact that out of a tragedy, Peter was able to find the good within. And that had turned him into the man he was today. A man that she loved.

But Eddie Brock was a part of the past that Peter never truly explained and, in truth, she was grateful for that. Part of the reason was that she had been a part of Eddie's life once. As a friend. One time, even more than that. But she had also been on the receiving end of a few "bad days" in the life of Eddie Brock, leaving her with the notion that he was a complete scumbag. Unfortunately, she had been _too_ right.

Now, as she regained consciousness on a city street, she began to wonder where it had all gone wrong. Namely, the friendship between Peter and Eddie.

The scene before her was blurry, but she could make out the jist of it. Once again, former friends were now battling to the death, with cars no less. Venom/Eddie Brock, looking ver angry from just being hit with a car in his scary black and white symbiote against Spider-Man/Peter Parker in his red and bl-.

"What?" MJ whispered. She hissed in pain as she rolled over from her back to her stomach. Blood dripped down from a cut and she wiped it away with her fingers. She focused on her lover, wondering if she wasn't just hallucinating.

"Oh my God," Mary Jane said. "Peter, what have you done?"

------------------------

"Paaaarrkerrr!" Venom yelled as he rushed Spider-Man and leaped upon him.

Spider-Man dodged Venom by performing a backwards flip. He arched his chest forward so he could see Venom as quickly as possible and when he did, he fired webs in rapid succession at Venom's eyes. The webs blinded Venom, who growled in frustration as he tore the webs off his face. Just as he tore the last web off and regained his vision, he saw Spider-Man about to deliver a punch to his face. Venom blocked with his right hand, but Spider-Man followed up with another quick jab that hit Venom square in the jaw.

Venom roared at his foe and began to swing punches of his own. Spider-Man sidestepped a roundhouse right to his face, giving him an opening to hit his former friend with a snap kick to the side. If this fazed Brock, he didn't show it and he punched Spider-Man in the solarplexus, sending the hero careening into a parked car. Spider-Man grunted as flesh met metal in a crash. It left an indentation in the car, which Spider-Man slumped in to catch a breather.

But Venom had no intention of giving his nemesis any breaks, because he rushed him once more, saying, "Come here Parker!"

As Venom was about to slam his oversized fists on him, Spider-Man flipped to the side, quipping, "If you want me to come close to you, two words Venom: tic-tac. Those little pieces will do wonders for your personal hygiene."

"Funny you should say that Parker," Venom said as he kicked Spider-Man in the head. "Because little pieces is all that's going to be left of you when I'm through."

Spider-Man rolled on the street with a severe headache. He pushed himself off the ground and looked back at his adversary. To his horror, Venom had begun to copy him and picked up the car he had just crashed into.

"Hey that's my move," Spider-Man said. "You can't just steal _my _move. I'll sue you for plagiarism." Venom paid no attention to Spider-Man's rant and he snickered as he threw the car at his hated enemy.

Since Spider-Man's reflexes were quicker than most, he noticed quickly that, because of him, the driver side window had been broken, offering a glint of hope for the webslinger. Venom had thrown the car sideways, so it wasn't twisting in the air, otherwise he would be a goner. Spider-Man readied himself as the car neared him, flying parallel to the ground. The webslinger bent his knees and, at the precise moment, jumped forward. He angled his body, straightening it like a rod, and flew straight through the broken window. As he flew by, he caught quick glimpses of the inside seats and airborne coffee cups. Then, he braced for impact as he crashed through the passenger side window. He got a quick look of Venom as his jaw dropped and hit that very same jaw with a two legged kick. Brock crashed into a deli, causing customers to scream and yell at the appearance of the monster.

Spider-Man giggled. "Well, you did tell me to come over by you, remember?"

Venom put his hands back and sprung up from the ground. "How the hell did you do that?"

Spider-Man folded his arms. "I just saw a window of opportunity. And yes, that was an intended pun."

Venom knew the only reason Spider-Man talked so much was to get his opponents angry, so they'd make mistakes. Well, it sure was working.

Venom sprang out of the deli with renewed vigor for Spider-Man's blood and, in a surprising move, thrust a dark tentacle out at Spider-Man. The tentacle bashed the webslinger in the stomach. He tasted blood in his mouth, but didn't have time to dwell on it as he dodged another of Venom's tendrils. He shot a web strand at a nearby building and swung up, hoping to gain the upper hand. But Venom had been expecting such a move and shot out another tentacle. This one hooked Spider-Man's leg, who cried out in surprise as he was tugged back to the ground. He crashed into the sidewalk, groaning in pain.

"We've evolved since last we fought Parker," Venom explained as he walked closer to his enemy. "We have discovered new ways to use our power in such a way that it has rendered you completely helpless against us."

Spider-Man grimaced as a big shadow appeared over him and he saw drops of drool hit the sidewalk. "Helpless, huh? Yeah right. Call me Annie Oakley if ya want cuz anything you can do-." Spider-Man sprang up and shot forth tendrils of his own horizontally, slamming Venom in the chest and sending him crashing into the third floor of a hotel. "-I can do better."

As the tentacles retracted, Spider-Man thought,_ Amazing. I've never had this much power. Not even the last time I had the suit._

True, the power was nice, but Spider-Man didn't let that fool him. For if he let it, the symbiote would bond with him, eventually gaining complete control over its host. And he wouldn't let that happen. Not again.

"Spider-Man!" Venom roared as he looked at his foe from the third floor. The brick wall had been completely torn away and Spider-Man could make out people running away from the beast. He couldn't blame leaped off the building, descending like some angel of death, and smashed into the street.

"Y'know Parker," Venom said, almost in a whisper, "you dared to take the "other" from me. And for that, I will take the girl from you." As soon as he finished that sentence, Venom began a mad dash for Mary Jane who was laying about fifty yards away.

When she saw the creature that was Eddie Brock coming after her, Mary Jane screamed, "NOOO! Spider-Man help!" It had become a reflex for her to be careful not to use her boyfriend's real name in public after all these years when he was Spider-Man.

"Mary Jane," Spider-Man whispered. She was so close, yet so far away. He wished he could hug her close, protect her from all the madness that was _his _life. But he couldn't do it for long. His real life and his superhero life had clashed and it was up to him separate the two once more.

_And if that means killing Venom_, Spider-Man thought. _Then so be it._

"I won't let you hurt her again Brock!" Spider-Man declared as he shot two web strands from both of his hands. The strands hit buildings on opposite sides of the street. He began to pull back on them as hard as he could. It broke his heart that he was going in the opposite direction of his girl and he used that anger to fuel himself. When he was convinced that he could go no further, he leaned back one more time and let his feet leave the ground, causing him to propel forward at an alarming rate. The wind whipped his costume as he sped to save his love.

He could see Venom almost on Mary Jane. He could only see his back, the white spider acting as a perfect target to aim for, but he could just picture the sadistic sneer that must be on Brock's face now. As he neared him, his keen eyesight showed that Mary Jane could see him and a small smile appeared on her face. Venom must have been wondering what she was smiling at because he turned around.

"Symbiotic asshole, corner pocket!" Spider-Man yelled as he plowed into Venom, his feet plunging into Brock's chest. He was sure that he felt a few ribs crack beneath Venom's oozy exterior.

Venom was launched a full city block before he hit the ground. When he hit, the angle he was at caused him to drag along the cracked pavement, creating a trail of broken roadway. Finally, he stopped right in front of a fancy business building, knocked out from the impact and sheer pain.

-------------------------

Spider-Man hadn't landed far from where Venom had stopped and he wanted to use that short distance to his advantage. He knew that Venom must be unconscious now. He hit him with enough force to level a small building.

But Venom wasn't there when Spider-Man arrived. There was no trace of him.

_Well, this can't be good_, Spider-Man thought.

-------------------------

Eddie Brock wasn't as stupid as Spider-Man thought he was. Only an idiot wouldn't have seen the manhole cover in the street. Sure, it had taken a lot of strength to get up after that blow, but Eddie was strong. He would survive.

The sewers were not a welcoming place, but Eddie had grown accustomed to living in places like this. In darkness all by himself.

Well, not entirely by himself.

"I can't believe it. I can't freakin' believe it!" Eddie cried out as he punched the sewer wall. "I can't believe that son of a bitch actually had the nerve to take part of me....part of _us_."

_**Are you truly so shocked? After all, his entire existence is based on taking everything away from you.**_

Eddie nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't be surprised at all. This is sooo like Parker to take something from me."

_**Like father, like son, no?**_

Eddie could hardly believe that he'd almost forgotten. "Of course. I'm glad you remembered."

_**It is tiresome remembering all the sins of Parker. After all, there are so many.**_

"I know. He rejected you," Eddie said, wondering if he was treading thin ice. "Only someone as selfish as him would do such a thing."

_**Yes indeed.**_

"B-but I am a much better host," Eddie stammered, wanting desperately to believe it. "I won't disappoint you. You've given me so much power."

_**Indeed we have. Power that you aren't even aware of.**_

Eddie blinked. "What do you mean?"

_**Come Eddie Brock. For we are your salvation. We are New York's salvation. And we shall spread throughout this pathetic city like the venom we are until we, once and for all, eradicate the disease of the cursed Spider-Man!**_


	3. Assignment

Chapter 2: Assignment

Since Spider-Man was not known to carry a cell phone, he asked a local resident who had been watching the altercation to call the paramedics. As she dialed the number, he ran over to Mary Jane and held her. He didn't notice it then, but the black suit was now gone. His traditional red and blue garb was now there.

"Mary Jane," Spider-Man whispered. "You okay?"

Despite everything that happened, he was relieved to see her laugh, even if it was a pained one. "Do I look okay to you?"

He chuckled. "Stupid question I know. How's your arm?"

MJ looked down at her arm which was laying slack at her side and tried to move it, but that instantly shot a jolt of pain through her. "Ahhh! Damn, I think it's broken."

"Jesus," Spider-Man said under his breath. "Well, don't worry. The paramedics are coming. I'd take you to the hospital myself, but swinging hundreds of feet above the ground doesn't sound like the best environment for a broken arm."

"This is true," MJ said as she gritted her teeth, trying to get something from her pocket with her good hand. "Here, I got you something." She pulled a small box from her jeans pocket. It had a red ribbon wrapped around it. "It's your birthday present."

Beneath the mask, Peter Parker gasped. It was his birthday, his twenty-fifth to be exact. Exactly ten years since he had become Spider-Man. Today had been quite the anniversary.

As MJ placed the box in his hand, he asked, "How did you remem-?"

"Well, someone has too," MJ said. "I know you won't."

Spider-Man chuckled. MJ knew him too well. Being Spider-Man had many perks, but remembering dates wasn't one of them.

"You know I don't deserve you, right?" Spider-Man said. _Biggest understatement of the year._

"Yep, you don't," MJ smiled playfully. "But I think I can live with that."

He was glad that she could still retain her sense of humor. It meant she wasn't in very deep distress. But then again, MJ was very good at hiding her true feelings. She had done it most of her life. While she would put on a pretty smile for her friends at school, the fact that she had to go home to an alcoholic father always nagged at her.

As soon as the sounds of sirens reached Spider-Man's ears, he muttered, "Thank God. It's about damn time."

The ambulance rounded the corner at a breakneck pace, saw Spider-Man in the middle of the street, and turned slightly, stopping at the hero's right side. The paramedics wasted no time in getting out of their vehicle and having a stretcher ready. For a second, Spider-Man wondered if, had he not been involved, the paramedics would have moved just as quickly. He shook those thoughts out of his head in an instant, mentally kicking himself for thinking something so ludicrous.

"Spider-Man," one of the paramedics said and pointed to the stretcher, "could you?"

Spider-Man nodded and lifted MJ up slowly, MJ cradling her arm the whole way. He laid her out gently on the stretcher. The paramedics were amazed that Spider-Man's muscles never quivered once.

As the paramedics began to cart her away, Spider-Man wanted desperately to yell out to her that it was going to be all right. But doing so might give away a greater relationship between the two than just damsel in distress and rescuer. It ate him up inside that he couldn't comfort her right this second, but deep down he knew that she was going to be just fine. And MJ was a big girl; she could take care of herself.

The ambulance took off in a hurry and Spider-Man was left alone standing in the street. He knew he should be going somewhere right now, but he couldn't remember where. Suddenly, a thought entered his head and he pulled up his glove, revealing a small watch underneath.

"Crap!" Spider-Man cried out. "Jonah's going to kill me!" And with that, Spider-Man swung away.

-------------------------

As Spider-Man swung away, the old man watched from a nearby rooftop. He was in shock of what he just saw. It certainly wasn't doing wonders for his blood pressure. The symbiote had reattached itself to him. That had been highly unexpected. It would certainly make things more difficult. Or would it...

The old man walked away from the edge and let the binoculars hang from his neck. He pulled the cell phone out of his coat pocket and dialed the number. It was barely into the first ring before it was picked up by the other person, as if they had been waiting and staring at the phone for this particular call.

"Well, how is our boy doing?" The voice asked.

The old man chuckled nervously. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." The voice said, sounding impatient.

"Well," the old man began, "th-things have escalated. Things that we could not have for seen. He showed a magnificent boost in combat prowess, as well as the ability to take a hit. It looks like he might have the ability to mold his skin into whatever shape he desires, although that power is still developing I have no doubt. After all, he was only able to do tentacles, but nevertheless...."

"Sounds like we made a good descision in tailing him, wouldn't you agree?" The voice sounded pleased.

"Y-yes I do. What should I do now?"

"Let things settle in for awhile. I have no doubt he will want to...take it out for a test drive, so to speak."

The old man smiled inwardly and a rush of excitement began to run through him. "And when that happens..."

"...when that happens, Adrian, then all our troubles will simply melt away."

----------------------

The skyline of New York in the mid-morning was truly something to behold. The horizon began to poke out through the edge of buildings, giving the impression that some big orange monster was getting ready to reveal itself to the city.

As Spider-Man swung through the city that had been his home for all his life, he could see through the windows of buildings that people were working diligently. He knew that some of those people had been up even before him.

_City that never sleeps. Ain't that the truth_, Spider-Man thought.

As Spider-Man rounded the Empire State Building, his destination came into view: The Daily Bugle. It was many things: one of the most successful newspapers in New York, the place where Peter Parker worked and, ironically, the home of the single most anti-Spider-Man person known to man. It definitely made working at the Daily Bugle interesting, sometimes too much so. Peter made his living as a staff photographer and his primary target was none other then his alter-ego. It wasn't the most well-payed job, but Peter was the only one who was able to get pictures of Spider-Man, something that continued to baffle even the most seasoned photographers to this day. This gave Peter something that made every worker in the Daily Bugle jealous: the sheer impossibility of being fired. But even Peter began to have doubts when he realized how late for work he was.

_Move it webhead! Move it!_, Spider-Man thought as he landed on top of the Daily Bugle. His secret entryway was a lone vent on top of the building. He quickly shed his costume, ripping off the gloves and foot pieces and putting them in a web pouch that he stuck to the vent. Then, he grabbed another pouch he had put there earlier that was filled with clean, pedestrian clothes. It was nice to think ahead.

But suddenly as he reached for his shirt, his almost naked body began to be covered by clothing all on its own. Peter gasped at the transformation. The clothes that magically appeared were identical to the back-up clothes in the web pouch. For a second, he didn't know how it could have happened, but then he remembered. The symbiote. He had forgotten another one of the perks that came from using it. It could change your look in an instant, reverting to whatever style of clothing you're thinking about at the time.

_Almost forgot I was wearing it_, Peter thought. _Or..is it wearing me?_

Peter knew he didn't have time to ponder this. He pulled the grate to the vent off; it had been loosened by him years ago. He entered the dark shaft and blinked a few times to get his eyes accustomed to the dark. Then, when he could see, he found to the edge to the shaft and dropped down. His hair whipped in the air as he fell. Peter had done this countless times and today was no different. The light at the end of the shaft began to show beneath Peter's feet and he braced for impact. Suddenly, he had to shut his eyes from the blinding bathroom lights and landed smoothly with his knees bent.

The men's bathroom on the thirty-sixth floor was infamous for its constant plumbing problems and backed up toilets. Any normal person would have the damn things fixed, except Jameson was not a normal person. He was, in fact, an enormous cheapskate. Although, for once, Peter was glad for Jonah's cheapness because it gave him a perfect door to get in and out of the Daily Bugle as Spider-Man without being seen. But the first few times Peter did it, he kept coming out smelling like crap, so he installed a few air fresheners.

Peter took in the sweet scent of cinnamon before exiting the bathroom. The instance he walked out of the bathroom, he was hit with an abundance of human life. Computer keyboards were being hammered and the individual conversations of reporters, bloggers, and journalists intermingled with the constant shouting for the copy boy. Despite the hectic nature of the place, Peter had grown accustomed to it; so much so that silence sounded weird to him. He saw a familiar staircase to his left and began the long trek to the top floor. Along the way, he passed several workers who were in the same position as he was and they were awestruck that he hadn't run out of energy yet. _The secret is having the proportionate strength of a spider, ladies and gentlemen._

At last, Peter reached the top floor. He opened the door and took a deep breath. The forty-sixth floor of the Daily Bugle was smaller than the others, but it was filled with the best of the best. Familiar faces populated the wooded area. Papers were stacked high on each desk that Peter passed. Just another day in the life...

The entrance to Jameson's office was blocked by a glass door and window that cut off the rest of the office from it. Before Peter went in, he decided to check in first. He looked to his left and saw the desk of the secretary of the Daily Bugle, Betty Brant. Betty was an ex-flame of his and a longtime friend; a rare case for most ex's. She had pretty blue eyes and shoulder length brunette hair. Her attire was always professional, yet somehow managed to be sexy at the same time. Peter would be lying if he said he didn't notice her natural curves or the bulge of her breasts beneath her white blouse, but that was a bridge that had burned a long time ago.

He smiled as he walked up to her at the desk, saying, "Hey Betty. How mad is he?"

Betty rolled her eyes and smiled. "After ten years of working with the guy, how mad do you think?"

Peter grimaced. "Oh, that bad, huh? Maybe I should just let him cool off."

Betty shook her head. "Better to get it over and done with, Pete."

Peter sighed. "You always know what's best Betty."

Betty sat up a little straighter in her chair, put on a stern face, and said, "Damn straight I do!"

She could barely keep the seriousness in her face and her infectious energy got to Peter as he started to giggle. If there was one thing about Betty that hadn't changed when they broke up, it was her ability to make him laugh.

Peter glanced at the glass door leading to the lion's den and took a deep breath. He gave Betty one last pleading look. "Wish me luck?"

Betty chuckled. "I would, but you wouldn't need it."

"This is true," Peter said and gave Betty a wink. It was their little secret.

Peter grabbed the handle and stepped inside. Jameson's office was bigger than most; as to be expected from the boss of the Daily Bugle. But the long desk, computer, and stacked papers- regular items you would find in any other reporters desk- were not enough to disguise the impatient and cocky atmosphere when entering the room. Peter had grown accustomed to this facet of Jameson's personality. _Even if it's not a facet..._

Peter had barely stepped into the room when the famous flattop haircut, Hitler mustache, and ever present cigar flew into view, screaming, _"Where the hell have you been?"_

"J.J-," Peter began to say, but was cut off.

"Don't J.J. me Parker," Jameson bellowed, his face turning beet red. "You were supposed to be here twelve minutes ago. TWELVE MINUTES! Do you know how many pictures you could have taken in that time?"

"First of all, about seven," Peter said, "and secondly, take pictures of what exactly?"

"Hah! You would've know that if you had been here on time," Jameson exclaimed, emitting a smug look that made Peter cringe. "In case you haven't heard, Venom is back in town and I want pictures."

"What have you heard about him?" Peter asked, not letting any emotions show.

Jameson waved his hand in the air, as if the idea of a monster symbiote wasn't all that important. "Oh, just that he and Spider-Man had it out in a street brawl. And where were you might I ask?!"

Peter had had enough, and yelled, "Trying to get to work on time because that's what _you _told me to do!"

Jameson's eye twitched. He had told him that, hadn't he? So the kid hadn't gotten pics of the battle because he, Jameson, had told him to come to work. He grumbled something like "_smartass"_ under his breath.

Peter didn't think it was possible, but Jameson's face was even redder than before and increasing by the second. He looked like he was going to pop a blood vessel. "Look, I-I'm sorry J.J.-."

"Oh don't waste your breath Parker," Jameson said as the color of his face receded. "Just get me pics of Spider-Man and Venom and I'll be happy. Even better, try and get some shots of the two working together to destroy New York."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Boss, how many times do I have to tell you? If Spider-Man and Venom are partners, then why do they try to kill each other ever chance they get?"

Jameson grabbed Peter by the shoulders and gave him an obsessive stare. He was so close that Peter got a puff of cigar smoke and he started to cough. "It's all a masquerade. A goddamned facade! They do that to throw everyone else off the track. That wall-crawling menace might have everyone else in this city fooled, but not me!"

"Oh, so you're just smarter than the rest of us?" Peter asked out loud.

"Exactly!" Jameson proclaimed.

Peter grinned, fighting back laughter. "Rhetorical question boss. Anyways, photos of the two freakshows. Got it." And he left the office, leaving Jameson with his mouth hanging open, wondering if he just said what he thought he did.

---------------------

Peter loved leaving Jameson speechless; it made his day so much more brighter. As he left the office of the mad publisher, he gave Betty a thumbs up. "I still got it."

Betty smiled and shook her head in astonishment. "I don't know how you do it Pete. You're the only person I know who can come out of the cave of Jolly Green Jonah with a smile on his face."

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not a normal guy. What can I say?" With that, he turned around and began to walk out of the office.

_Ain't that the damn truth,_ Betty thought to herself.

Peter maneuvered his way past the paper ravaged desks and the reporters scrambling from one corner of the floor to the next and was about to make his exit, when a familiar face stopped him.

"Robbie!" Peter exclaimed.

The African-American with short salt and pepper hair turned around and smiled. "Well, if it isn't my favorite photographer. How's it goin' Pete?"

"Oh not too bad." Peter responded.

"How's Mary Jane? You two gettin' along okay?" Robbie asked with a coy smile.

Peter was about to say that she was in the hospital, but he quickly caught himself. Only Spider-Man knew that. Having a secret identity meant having your stories straight and Peter was very accustomed to lying on the fly. "Oh, she's doin' fine. And yes Robbie, we are getting along fine. So don't get your hopes up, player!"

Peter loved Robbie's laugh. It was just so low and jovial. "If the missus heard you talkin' that way, I might have to find me a new home."

After a short while of laughing that earned some looks from the other journalists in the room, Robbie grew more buisnesslike. "You lookin' for some work, Pete?"

Peter hesitated. Getting pictures of Venom would be more than enough work, but then again it was always nice to have a little extra money come his way. "Sure, what have you got for me?"

"Oh, just basic news that you've probably heard about," Robbie said. "I'm talking about the new gangs in town."

Peter nodded. He had heard about them on the news. "Those thugs on the lower east side? What do they have that could possibly be newsworthy?"

Robbie's eyes glinted. "I'm glad you asked. See, I have word from, well let's just say a valuable source, that the gangs have been helping ship in some high tech weaponry through the black market. Some shipments are due to arrive today apparently and, excuse my french, it's some hot shit."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "So, you want me to get pictures of all this high tech weaponry? That's all fine, but how am I supposed to get inside?"

"Nearly everyone and their mother knows where these gangs' hideouts are," Robbie explained. "True, getting inside is going to be the hard part. And that's why you need to get into contact with Luck Cage."

Peter's eyes widened. "Wait a sec. _The_ Luke Cage? What makes you think he'll talk with me?"

"Cuz he and I are pretty close," Robbie said. "I'm the one who finally got Jonah off his back and I've helped show evidence that cleared his name of a crime. The guy owes me a favor. You should be just fine."

Peter couldn't help but smile. Robbie certainly had thought of everything. Or had he... "How am I supposed to get into contact with him?"

Robbie looked at Peter like he was thick. "In case you've forgotten, you have a superhero friend too, remember? Use that to your advantage."

Robbie walked away, leaving Peter with his thoughts. It was true that everyone knew of the "relationship" between Spider-Man and Peter Parker. As a cover story that has served Peter well over the years, Spider-Man gets some of the money Peter makes off of his photos. People still wondered why Peter let him take advantage of him like that, but Peter would simply say that even a superhero had to eat sometimes. He decided to take Robbie's job. It wouldn't be too difficult.

As Peter began to walk out of the office, his cell phone began to ring. He nearly fainted when he saw that Mary Jane was calling. Peter immidiately hit the recieve button. "MJ, are you okay? How's your arm? Is the food bad?"

He could hear MJ giggling on the phone and could just picture her smile. "Yikes. Enough with the twenty questions Pete. I'm fine. The doctor said that it'll heal in a couple of weeks."

Peter flashed back to Venom's ambush and MJ's arm twisted at an unnatural angle. He was glad MJ was not there to see him clench his fists so hard he might have broke his own hand. "That's great honey. I'll get over there as soon as possible."

"Ok Pete-," MJ was suddenly cut off by the sound of gunfire, no doubt outside the building.

Peter's mind went into a panic. "MJ, what's going on?!"

"Peter, it's the gangs! There having a figh-!" Peter could here glass break by Mary Jane and she screamed.

"What hospital are you at?" Peter asked quickly. She told him. "I'll get over there right away. Find somewhere to hide."

"Ok," MJ responded and ended the conversation.

Peter began to dash out of the Bugle and soon enough he was on top of the building in his costume. Just as he was about to swing away, the symbiote reformed and his costume was turned to black. At first, Peter wanted to will it to go away. But then again, those thugs had attacked the hospital. Hurting people for their own selfish egos. Hurting Mary Jane.

_**Those thugs will pay. We will make them pay.**_

"Yes _we _shall," Spider-Man said.

* * *

Sorry! This took much longer to get up then it should have (I mean, just look at the length of it). Things just came up out of nowhere to stall it. Again, I apologize.


End file.
